Director Gabe Polsky made an interesting choice by deciding to open his new documentary with the main character interrupting his rather meandering question by flipping the filmmaker a stern middle finger. Not only does it quickly set the eccentric tone of the droll but enlightening film Red Army it also captures the “take no shit” attitude of the documentary’s most intriguing interview subject — Russian hockey legend Viacheslav Fetisov.
Centred on the tale of the outspoken defenseman Red Army traces the sport’s most successful dynasty — the Soviet Union’s Cold War-era hockey club — and reconstructs the story of how five Russian players dominated international hockey in the late ’70s and ’80s — long before names like Ovechkin and Tarasenko were sprawled across the shoulders of an NHL hockey jersey.
“When I saw the Soviets play for the first time on a VHS tape I couldn’t believe it — just the skill level the unity the passing and the weaving — they did incredible things on the ice” says Polsky during an interview at the movie’s premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. “(But) when I did more research I realized this was a much bigger story. This is about the Soviet Union and the people and the Russian soul. Aside from the politics aside from the history and all the other elements — it’s also a very human story.”
Focused as much on the personal turmoil as he is on exploiting an astonishing amount of vintage footage Polsky does manage to break through to his subjects and draw out some incredible anecdotes that exhibit how hockey was used as a propaganda tool in the communist system and how the government forced indoctrination upon its athletes while tyrannical coaches unleashed relentless training techniques borrowed from the Bolshoi Ballet. Under that kind of punishing regime it’s no wonder Polsky had a hard time getting Fetisov to open up.
“I couldn’t even get him to do the interview. I was in Russia for 10 days and I got everyone else. Finally the last day he shows up and says ‘I’ll give you 15 minutes’” says Polsky. “Ultimately the interview lasted five hours and it became clear that he was the most interesting (character) and that I could anchor the movie on him. He became the symbol of the Soviet Union — he was the captain he was the face of the country.”
Interestingly the film reveals that although the first Russian players began arriving in the NHL by the late ’80s many (including Fetisov) had been invited much earlier. But it was only due to great restrictions that most athletes were even able to play in North America — concessions that Fetisov refused to make. Those who did accept offers in the NHL were often blackballed as defectors by their own people.
“Initially they called them traitors. They said these guys are (leaving) for money they’re leaving our country — because the Soviet Union was built on serving your country” says Polsky. The shocking truth is most of these athletes consented to hand over much of their salary to the government just to play in the NHL.
Born and raised in America to Russian immigrants it’s not shocking to learn Polsky has taken an interest in Soviet hockey ever since he got a pair of skates at age six. And while he surely couldn’t have guessed the allure would someday lead him to make a movie about the sport the reward has more than paid off — winning awards at film festivals and earning much acclaim from critics. In fact the experience of making Red Army has been so gratifying it may even send the indie filmmaker back to non-fiction again.
“I think I’ll definitely go back in that world” says Polsky. “(But) one lesson this has taught me is that I better be damn passionate about what I’m doing or I’ll have a lot of grey hair. Whatever you choose especially in documentaries you better be passionate about it because it’s going to be a struggle and the only thing that’s going to get you through is passion for your material.”
Steve Gow is creator and editor of StrictlyDocs.com
